Uninsured in SC eligible for Checkup screenings

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s Medicaid agency is offering residents who fall into an insurance gap due to Republican’s refusal to expand Medicaid eligibility a limited benefits program intended to catch illnesses early. What happens if a problem is detected is still being worked out.

Healthy Connections Checkup provides physical exams every other year that include screenings for diabetes, high cholesterol, and several types of cancer. The coverage that began Aug. 1 expanded on a 20-year-old program that provided only “family planning” services.

The estimated 450,000 South Carolinians eligible for Checkup are mostly the same people who would qualify for full Medicaid benefits if the state expanded eligibility as the federal health overhaul intended.

Roughly 140,000 people are enrolled in Checkup. The agency hopes 200,000 will be enrolled by next summer.